This Phone Tip Will Get You Closed Deals – BullFrog

Here are five of the best telephone etiquettes tips that can help you keep your current customers and attract new ones.

Proper Tone of Voice: The first thing customers hear when they call your business should give them the right impression about your company’s culture. If your business relies on auto-attendant or a front desk receptionist, you have to make sure you don’t sound like a robot. Your voice tone should communicate that you are eager to listen and assist. No amount of skill or knowledge can substitute your tone of voice; therefore, you should make sure you don’t sound too casual, rude, or careless.

Active Listening: For most customers, it is not easy to summarize what they need in a way you understand because they may not know what they need or if you are the right person to talk to. That is part of the reason your customers call in the first place. Therefore, you have to actively listen until you fully understand the problem before you jump to a conclusion.

Empathy Statements: Regardless of the size of the problem if there is a pain point in the conversation, you should always express your empathy. Empathy statements cannot sound phony or like a pre-recorded statement; otherwise, your customer will lose his or her faith in your ability and willingness to assist. Lack of empathy statements in your conversation may lead to an undesirable phone conversation or termination of service.

Customers often want to hear your empathy statement before any resolution. As former President Theodore Roosevelt aptly said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Avoid dead air: Listening is a very important part of a conversation; however, sometimes unless you are careful you may leave extended dead air in the conversation. That often makes the customer think you are away from the phone or not listening at all. Depending on the conversation, it is good to ask probing questions that will help you understand the problem and give assurance that you heard the customer correctly.

Proper Summary: Customers want to feel all issues are resolved or at least addressed in a proper manner before they end the call.

Proper summary often helps you retain a customer and receive good reviews.